Seeing Stars
by zyujin
Summary: Sorry about the title, had to call it something. Albus spends the summer with Scorpius. After recieving a special gift he begins to reevaluate his relationship with his friend.
1. seeing stars

Disclaimer: I don't own Happy Potter, wish I did though. Albus spends the summer with his friend Scorpius, and acknowledges his feelings toward him.

Albus Potter was astounded by the size of Malfoy Manor alone, before having even stepped foot inside the place. "Wow!" he let out in a gasp, unable to stop himself. His parents walked with him on either side. Though neither of them would admit it out loud, the manor was quite impressive. It looked more like a palace than anything, seemingly chiseled from white marble. Torches decorated either side of the front door and various points along the roof. Flags waved proudly from the turrets, possibly by charm since it was not windy that night, each one baring the Malfoy family crest. The grounds around the manor were equally awe inspiring.

Before the Potters had a chance to fully take in the scenery the doors to the manor opened and they were greeted by man in crisp black robes, the use of house elves having long been abolished. "Greetings Mr. and Mrs. Potter, young Albus. Do come in." The man offered, his tone sounding a bit forced. He lead them into the entrance hall where they were met immediately by Draco Malfoy, his wife and their son Scorpius, Albus' best friend. Albus and Scorpius, or Al and Scorp as the called each other, had met on the train to Hogwarts at the start of their first year. They became fast friends and despite being sorted into different houses, Al into Gryffindor and Scorp into Slytherin, they remained very close. Most times they preferred each other's company to that of members of their own house. For Al it was a chance to break away from Gryffindor which was almost completely dominated by his siblings and many cousins. While Scorp found Al to be a welcome relief from the back-stabbing, self-serving Slytherins. Their friendship made them out casts for a time, but now after three years most students from both their respective houses had come to accept it, if not fully agree with it. Al and Scorp had convinced their parents to let Al stay with the Malfoys for the summer after Al's birthday celebration. The Potters had been asked to stay for dinner after accompanying Al to the manor. To Al and Scorp's mutual relief dinner between the two families was _civil _though a bit stiff. The Potters left after desert, and Al and Scorp made their way upstairs.

The butler (Draco found the idea of a human servant even more amusing than a house elf, almost worth the wage he now had to pay) had moved Al's belongings into the guest room. But he and Scorp had already decided he'd be staying in Scorp's room. They sat on Scorp's bed, which was covered in Slytherin Green, laughing at some joke. "I've got something for you." Scorp interjected. He handed Al a box with deep purple wrapping and a bright yellow bow. "What is it?" Al asked, trying to think of what it could be. "It's your birthday present, silly. Go on, open it." Despite Al being allowed to stay with the Malfoy's, Scorpius thought better of going to the Potter's for Al's party. The numbers were simply against him. Al pulled at the bow, the ribbon unraveled and fell away. He lifted the lid of the box. Inside was a box of mahogany with ornate symbols engraved in it. He took out the second box and opened it. Al gasped at the site inside as Scorpius looked on smiling.

"Scorpius" Al whispered, apparently unable to say anything else. He lifted the gift from it's casing. It was a beautiful crystal ball. It glowed with a faint light, white-grey smoke swirled around inside. It looked almost like a giant pearl. The crystal rested on an ebony setting carved into the shape of a sinuous oriental dragon, coiling around the base of the crystal upon itself, swallowing it's own tail. Al looked up at Scorpius as if in a state of shock. "Happy Birthday." Al and Scorp had started taking divination their third year. Though many student, including Scorp, felt the class was a waste of time, Al seemed to have a knack for it. Crystal gazing was his favorite. Everyone, especially Professor Treloney (still teaching long past retirement age) was astounded by the accuracy of Al's predictions. "Well, do you like it?" Scorp asked when Al said nothing else. His answer was not what Scorp expected. "I-I can't take this." Scorp's smile evaporated. "Why not?" He said, hoping he didn't sound too hurt or angry. "It... it's just too expensive." Scorp snorted. Scorp should have seen this coming of course. Al had told him how his mother and her brothers grew up poor, and even now after most of them had become very well off, they were still hesitant about receiving expensive gifts from others. Apparently a trait they passed on to their children. Scorp thought it was ridiculous and quite insulting. "Will you stop worrying about that! It's not like I bought it with my father's money. You know I've been helping out at your uncle's shop in Hogsmead since Christmas. I've been saving for a while to get you this!" He said indignantly.

Al had to smile at the confession. He looked back at the glowing orb in his hands then back up at Scorp, who seemed to glow himself in the crystal's light. "Thank you." He wrapped his friend in a one armed hug, holding the crystal in his free hand. The hug seemed to last longer than most contact between them did. The boys released each other after realizing this. "So..." Scorp started. "What do you see?" Al looked deeply into the orb. His eyes became a bit unfocused after a while. When he spoke it was as though he were half asleep, deep in his trance. "I see... You. Older. You look like you could be your father's twin." Scorp scoffed at that. "You're... Looking out at something. You're smiling now. A man walks over to you . It's me!" At the last part Al seemed pleasantly surprised. "Yeah? What are we doing?" Scorp asked, mildly curious. "We're... hugging each other hello." "Yeah? What else?" "We're..." Al looked into the orb, watching intently, and was shocked at what he saw next. He must have made a noise or let the surprise show on his face, because next Scorp was asking "What? What is it?" Al caught himself and lowered the crystal. "Oh! N-nothing. I lost it." Scorpius gave him a suspicious look. He knew Al well enough to know when he was lying. He decided to let it go. The clock behind him chimed eleven. "Is it that late already?" He asked to no one. "We better get to bed, before dad makes a fuss." Al nodded.

Al changed into his pajamas Scorp simply undressed to his boxers. They had long become comfortable changing in front of each other, seeing each other nude on several occasions. Still, the sight of his friend's body never ceased to amaze Al. It seemed to get more beautiful each time he saw it. Scorp had a small frame but he was wrapped in compact muscle. He was not overly huge but was no longer the skinny little kid Al once knew. Though he was only 14, Al thought he looked like a god. His platinum hair was now almost at his waist. He released it from it's braid to brush it out, while Al watched in complete awe. Scorpius turn and smile at Al's expression. "What?" he laughed. Al shook his head and looked down. "Nothing." Scorpius laughed and continued brushing. Al stopped him and took the brush from his hand. "Let me help you."

They sat on the bed, Scorpius with his back to Al and Al brushing his hair. He could not believe how soft Scorp's hair was. It was almost unnatural. And it smelled like mint. Scorp seemed to relax into Al's strokes. When Al finished he lightly touched the back of Scorp's head and ran his hand all the way down his back, smoothing out the long curtain of hair with his palm. "You done?" Scorp's voice surprised him. "Oh, yeah." He said, handing the brush back to Scorp. Scorp placed the brush on the bedside table before pulling back the sheets to lay down. "Well, good night Al." He laid down on his back only bringing the cover up to his hips, leaving his muscled torso exposed. "Good night" Al repeated. He remained sitting up watching Scorp for a while, before finally lying down himself. Al was a bit restless at first, constantly shifting his position. Scorp on the other hand was out like a light, even with Al's constant moving. Al finally turned on his side facing Scorp. He admired how beautiful the other boy looked. He found himself reaching his hand out, finally resting it on Scorp's chest. Scorp's skin was so smooth, Al notice, caressing it gently. He shifted a little closer to the sleeping boy, and rested his head on Scorp's shoulder. Soon they were both asleep. Al dreamed of the vision he saw in the crystal and hoped with all his heart that this one would come true. The scene of Scorpius and himself sharing a passionate kiss replayed itself in his mind all night.


	2. mirror image

The first day of Al's summer with Scorp begins. After an enlightening premonition, Al accepts the fact that he is in love with his best friend. But after getting a peek at an adult Scorpius, Al starts to take notice of another handsome Malfoy male. But Al's self conflict doesn't last long when an unexpected heart ache strikes Scorp.

Disclaimers: usual stuff. I don't own squat.

When Al woke up he was greeted with the site of the world's most perfect boy sleeping next to him. At some point in the night Scorpius had turned on his side and was facing Al. His arm was draped limply around Al's body. Al stayed there trying to remain as still as possible so he would not wake his friend and spoil the moment. But all to soon the temptation became to great. He reached out and lightly stroked him friend's cheek. As if on cue, Scorpius awoke soon after. He blinked a couple of times before his eyes focused on Al. He lips curled into a small smile. "Morning." He said faintly. "Morning." Al answered back.

Scorpius sat up and stretched, a sight Albus quite enjoyed. He rolled his neck around a bit and Al wondered how his hair managed to stay so perfect throughout the night, when Al's own was a mess no matter how often he combed it. Scorpius got up from bed and made his way to the closet. He found and dawned a pair of pajama pants, still refusing to put on a shirt. He did however put on a matching robe. "Com'on." He called back to Al. "Let's see if breakfast's ready." Al exited the room with Scorp. Across the hall Mr. Malfoy was coming out from his own room, still looking half asleep. Al wondered for a moment if perfect morning hair ran in the family. Like Scorpius, Draco was naked from the waist up, though in the process of putting on a robe the same color as his son's; deep crimson. It was odd seeing Malfoys in something so close to Gryffindor colors, but it suited them both. Al examined the elder Malfoy's body before it was hidden by the bode and hoped that Scorp would have one to match when he was that age. Hell, he practically already did.

"Good morning, Father." Scorpius said. Draco looked up in surprise, as if not expecting either of them to be there, which Al realized, he probably didn't. Scorp had been away at school and Al didn't even live there. He recovered himself quickly and greeted them. "Good morning, boys. Sleep well?" "Yes, father." Al still couldn't get over how formal the two were around each other. He knew from the way Scorp talked about his father that he loved him, but they never seemed to _act _like it. "Come on, Al." Said Scorp interrupting his thoughts. Al followed the two, in his mind beautiful, men downstairs to the dining room. Draco looked at his son and sighed heavily. He took a handful of Scorp's hair, holing it up. "When are you going to cut this?" Scorp released his hair from his father's grip. Before he could answer Al spoke up . "I like it!" Scorp looked up at him and smiled. Al felt suddenly embarrassed for some reason. Scorp turned back to to father and said "See? Al likes it." "Hmm." Was Draco's only response.

When they made it to the foot of the stairs Scorpius asked "Is mother joining us?". "No." Draco replied. "She had to leave early, business to conduct." Al noticed that while Scorpius talked about father quite often he almost never mentioned his mother. He would have to ask why that was. The three of them sat down and enjoyed a hefty breakfast. Draco had seemed somewhat more relaxed than when Al usually saw him. Though he still didn't seem as comfortable around Scorp as Al's dad was around him. Oh well, thought. Finally Mr. Malfoy, who had been sitting directly across from Al got up, and bent over to collect his morning paper from the table. His robe, which had been wrapped loosely around him, hung open, allowing Al another brief peak at his chiseled body, but he straightened up. "Well Al," He said looking down at Al. God he had gorgeous eyes, just like Scorpius. "Have fun. Don't let this one get you into too much trouble." He said with a smile. Al almost melted. "Be good Scorpius." "Yes, Father." And with that the elder Malfoy was gone. "You alright?" Scorpius asked, noting Al's expression. "Yeah, I-I'm fine. How 'bout a game of Quidditch?" Al asked, changing the subject. "Think I'll have a shower first." The two left the table and returned upstairs.

Scorpius was almost completely naked when he said "There's room enough for both of us, you know?" "What?" Al answered in surprise. "The shower. There's room enough for both of us. It'll save time. And water, father will like that" He kicked off his boxers standing before Al completely bare. "Well, are you coming?" Al was lost for words. He managed only to nod and started to undress himself. He had seen Scorp naked so many times, but it still got to him. Scorp was right. The shower must have been almost half the size of the one the school Quidditch team used. He was glad that by the time he'd finished undressing Scorp was facing the other way. He bent over to adjust the water. Al's erection stuck out straight in front of him, and the sight of Scorp's round buttocks looked very inviting. Satisfied that the water was the right temperature Scorp stood up under the spray. Thankfully when Scorp turned to him face Al his eyes were closed, blocking out the water. "Come on, Al. The water's perfect." Al took a deep breath and joined his gorgeous, dripping wet, too damn sexy to be all together legal, best friend under the water.

Afternoon found the boys stretched out on the grass, looking up into the clouds. Al liked times like this with Scorp. He liked how they could enjoy each other's company without really needing to do or say anything. Just being there together was enough. Al thought about his vision from the night before and wondered if he would have to wait so long before kissing Scorp. Or had they already been doing so for years at that point. Al had never given much thought to his feelings about Scorp before. He knew he loved him, of course, but in what sense. Scorp was the only friend he really had. Sure there was his family who he'd always been close to, but they were different. They were his family regardless. Al had no other real, none related, friends to compare his relationship to Scorp with. He had no frame of reference as to what was typical behavior between male friends, and what was something else. For a long time it was enough to know that he loved Scorp and that Scorp loved him, but lately he wondered.

When Scorp finally spoke, what he said convinced Al that he must be a mind reader. "Al, you love me right?" Al couldn't answer right away. "Yeah. Yeah, I love you." He said trying to sound natural. "Like a brother?" Scorp asked. Al didn't know how to answer that. He was torn between telling the truth and telling Scorp what he wanted to hear, and if the latter, 'what was it Scorp wanted to hear'? He was spared when Scorpius spoke again without waiting for an answer. "It's just that sometimes I wonder what it's like to have a brother. You know? I always wanted one. Even if I had one now, it'd be too late. I'm 14 and he'd be a baby. That wouldn't be must fun." Al snorted. "My brother's only a year older than me and he's NEVER been much fun." They both chuckled at that. Scorp spoke again. "Still, even though he's an ass sometimes, James looks out for you. He protects you." Scorp looked up at the sky as if it held all the answers he was looking for. Al propped himself up on an elbow. "I look out for you." Scorpius turned his head toward Al. A smile slowly appeared on his face. He looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't. He finally settled on "We should go inside. Father will be home soon and if he sees me messing up my good robes out here, he'll kill me." They returned to the house.

Mr. Malfoy did not return as soon as Scorpius had expected. When he did come home he looked dead tired. He said he was going to rest a while and that Scorp and Al should eat dinner without him. After their meal Scorp and Al were in Scorp's room playing exploding snaps. "I'm board." Scorp announced after the fourth game. "I wonder if father will take us out somewhere." After a moment he said to Al "Why don't you ask him?" "Why don't you?" Al shot back. Scorp shook his head with a twisted lip. "Father doesn't like it when I bother him after a long day. But you're a guest. He HAS to be nice to you." Al wasn't convinced. "At least if you ask" Scorp continued. "He might say yes. If I ask it'll be a definite no. Just ask him." Accepting defeat, Al got up. "Well where do you even want to go?" Scorp shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Just out." Al grunted and turned toward the door.

He went across the hall to Mr. Malfoy's room. The door was cracked and the room inside was dark. Al knocked. "Mr. Malfoy?" No answer. He knocked again, the door opened more as he did. "Mr. Malfoy?" Still no answer. Al opened the door more. The room was empty. There was light coming from the bathroom and Al debated whether or not to go in. "Mr. Malfoy?" His voice sounded odd even to him. He was struggling between wanting to be heard from within the next room and wanting to be able to slip out quietly. Al knew Scorpius would not leave him alone until Al had spoken to his father personally. He gritted his teeth and stepped further into the room. As he got closer to the bathroom he could hear running water. He made it to the door and peaked inside. Mr. Malfoy was in the shower, one even bigger than Scorp's, his back to Al. Even though the glass was fogged over Al could still make out Mr. Malfoy's nude body. He was leaning against the wall in front of him, as if it were the only thing holding him up. This was the first time Al had seen Scorp's father naked, and the sight was incredible. Sure he'd seen his own dad nude once or twice, but that was his dad, while this... this was a GOD.

The elder Malfoy's body looked even more sculpted than that of his son even through the foggy glass. It was fully illuminated by an over head light. Mr. Malfoy raised his head, letting the water run down his face and front. He turned facing Al. Al almost bolted, but his luck from that morning was holding out. Mr. Malfoy was rubbing his face and couldn't have seen anything. Al could just barely make out the shape of his... Al mentally smacked himself and left the room. He waited in the hall until he heard Mr. malfoy moving around inside. Then he knocked on the door again. "Mr. Malfoy?" "Come in." Al was speechless for a moment. Mr. Malfoy was still naked except for a towel around his waist. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his left side to Al, his eyes on the floor. He seemed to be deep in thought. "A-are you... okay, Mr. Malfoy?" Al asked before he could stop himself. Mr. Malfoy smiled and nodded, just tired, it comes with getting old. Mr. Malfoy began stretching his back, tilting his head up and poking his chest out. Al scanned his body, and thought he looked far from old or tired. Finally Malfoy turned to Al. "What is it, Al?" Al regained his senses. "Scorp was board. He wanted to know if you could take us out somewhere." Mr. Malfoy chuckled. "And he sent you to do his dirty work did he." Al was silent, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Sneaky bastard." Malfoy said under his breath. "All right then. Get dressed." Al nodded and turned to leave. "Close the door behind you, will you?" Al turned back as he went to close the door. Mr. Malfoy was standing, dropping his towel on to the bed.

Mr. Malfoy had taken the boys out to New York. He had visited the muggle city once to conduct some business with a muggle born client who lived there, his relations with muggle borns having improved over the years. He had to admit it was a sight to see. Especially at night. The U.S. was a few hours behind the UK so when they got there it was barely sundown. The boys seemed fascinated by nearly everything they saw. And Mr. Malfoy quite enjoyed watching their excitement. They spent most of their time in Time Square. They visited a wax museum, an amazing store called Toys 'R' Us, and took a ride on a 'bicycle for eight', something Al could have sworn was magical in origin. They had been walking through the theater district when Mr. Malfoy decided on a whim to take them to see a play called "Wicked". Though it did take a little magical persuasion to get tickets. Supposedly the play was about two witches, though of course neither the Malfoys nor Al expected it to be accurate. It was entertaining none the less.

By the time they came home they were all exhausted, but they'd enjoyed themselves. Al couldn't help notice that Mr. Malfoy seemed less tense than he had when he came home that night. "Good night, boys" He said, going into his room with a smile on his face. "See, I told you he'd take us." Scorpius said triumphantly. "No you didn't!" Al retorted throwing a pillow at him. Scorp caught it and threw it back. "Well I said it'd be better if you asked than me, didn't I? By the way what took you so long, anyway?" "What?" "When you asked my father if we could go out. You were gone a long time." Al tried to think of a lie. "Oh... uh... He was in the shower, so I... had to wait outside." Scorp seemed to accept that. He laid down on the bed turning onto his stomach.

Al climbed up on the bed beside Scorpius. He began rubbing the boys back gently with one hand before massaging his shoulders. Scorp made no objection and seemed to relax into the touch. "We should get Father to take us to New York again, sometime this summer." He said finally. "Yeah." Al agreed. His hands moved further down Scorp's back. "That play was fun." Scorp said. "It was a little weird, though." Said Al. "Well what do you expect? Muggles don't know anything about real witches." Scorp was silent for a while before he continued. "That school was kind of like Hogwarts, though." "Yeah, and the Wizard was kinna like the Minister of Magic, I guess." "Mmm." Al had made his way to Scorp's lower back. His hands slid casually under Scorp's shirt, touching his bare skin. He kneaded the muscles in Scorp's back. Oh God, how he needed them. He worked his way back up slowly, taking Scorp's shirt further up as he went. Scorp laughed. "Stop. That tickles." Al couldn't resist. "What, this?" He tickled Scorp's sides and the other boy laughed again, thrashing around. "This?" Al said tickling the smooth hairless skin under his arms. Scorp laughed harder flipping over on his back. His shirt was hitched up to his rib cage, and Al attacked his belly mercilessly. "Stop, Al! Stop it!" Scorp said between laughs. "Stop it! You're gonna make me pee my pants." Al stopped, still laughing. He looked down, admiring his Scorp quietly. Scorp looked up at him, a hint of a smile still on his lips. "What?" Al shook his head. Scorp gave him a playful smack to the gut. "Fucker. Get ready for bed." Scorp took the shirt off completely. Soon they were both in there boxers and getting under the covers. "What, you're not putting on your pajamas?" Scorp asked. Al shook his head. "Nah, don't feel like it." "Well you know what I don't feel like?" Scorp said, reaching under the covers. He fumbled around for a bit before his hand came back up holding his boxers. He tossed them across the room to land where they may. "Go on." He said to Al expectantly. "Unless you're too bashful." Al smiled thinking about it. "What the hell?" He reached down, pulled off his own shorts, and tossed them aside to join Scorp's. They laid down beside each other. Al had to admit, Scorp's silk sheet did feel nice against his naked skin.

It took until the next morning for Al to realize he'd not seen Scorp's mother since he arrived. He woke up alone in Scorp's huge bed. He quickly found some pants and set out to find Scorp. He found him downstairs sitting outside his father's study. He had his knees pulled up to his chest he looked very tense. As Al came closer he could hear shouting coming from inside. "Scorp?" Al asked. The other boy did not respond. Now that he was closer Al noticed two things. First the voice booming from the other side of the wooden door was Mr. Malfoy, and he was most definitely not happy. The second was that Scorp was, or at least had been crying. His face was completely passive and showed no emotion. But his eyes were puffy and his cheeks were tear streaked. Al knelt down in front of his friend. He placed a shaky hand on his knee. "Scorp?" He said in a low whisper. Mr. Malfoy's voice thundered again, and Al only just then started paying attention to the words. "**COULDN'T EVEN TELL ME FACE TO FACE. HAD TO FLOO ME! YOU ****SPINELESS, EVIL BITCH! WHAT ABOUT YOU'RE SON? WHAT AM I SUPPOSE ****TO TELL HIM? OR DO YOU EVEN GIVE A SHIT?!" **Someone else spoke then, it sounded like a woman, but she was almost completely drowned out by Draco Malfoy. **"NO! I DON'T EVEN WANT TO HEAR IT! ****AND I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES FOR YOU EITHER! DON'T EVEN BOTHER ****COMING BACK HEAR TO GET YOUR THINGS, BECAUSE I'M GONNA BURN EVERY ****FUCKING THING YOU OWN! BOUGHT THE SHIT MY DAMN SELF ANYWAY!" **Scorpius had apparently heard enough. "Come on." He said before getting up and rushing from the hall without even waiting for Al to follow.

When Al got back to the room Scorp was curled up in the bed. Al had no idea what to do or say to him. He simply curled up beside him. He pulled the covers up over them both and wrapped his arm around Scorp. Scorp placed his hand on Al's, resting on his belly. Al did not know how long they were like that before a small knock could be heard on the door. It open and Mr. Malfoy must've peaked in. Neither boy looked up to see. "Scorpius? Are you awake?" His voice was much softer than Al had ever heard it. It was almost inaudible. A stark contrast to how it had sounded a earlier. Al realized after all that screaming he might not have been able to talk much louder. "Yes, Father." Scorp answered, his voice almost just as low. Mr. Malfoy took a deep breath. "When... when you get up we need to talk, okay?" Al thought he sounded on the verge of tears. "Yes, Father." The elder Malfoy lingered a moment longer, probably wanting to say something else but not knowing what. He finally shut the door and left. Al and Scorp stayed in bed another hour before finally getting up to face the day.


	3. gone away

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. This chapter will be told from Draco's perspective.

It had been a week since Draco last spoke with his "wife". A week since she informed him that she'd found someone new and would not be coming back. It had been a week since he had tried to explain to Scorpius. The boy took it quite well, Draco thought, but only because it was most likely no surprise to him. And in the week that followed Scorpius had moped about, apologizing to Al at every turn for making his holiday miserable. But Al remained a true friend throughout, and Draco was glad Scorpius had him. By the end of that week however, Draco had had enough.

So Monday morning saw him in the office of one Harry James Potter. It was the first time in years he'd been alone in a room with Potter. Since Draco's _reform _they had met once or twice at certain Ministry functions, or something of the like, but their exchanges were always brief. The dinner on the day of Al's arrival at the manor was the longest they'd been in each other's company since who knew when; and even then they were with their respective wives and children. Potter was first to brake the silence that followed their curt 'hellos'. "I heard about Astoria." Draco nodded. "Who hasn't? Evita Skeeter is as notorious with a quill as her mother was." Another long stretch of uncomfortable silence followed before Harry spoke again. "So, how are you?" Draco shrugged. "I'm not surprised. I knew what she was doing. Where she was going. When she was gone for days at a time I was actually glad. It meant she wasn't around to hurt Scorpius." He shrugged again. "Now that she's gone for good, she's hurting him more than ever." Harry looked around nervously, and Draco could not remember ever seeming him so unsure. "If... it's a bad time for Al to be over, I understand." "No!" Draco said, maybe a little too quickly. He noted the look on Potter's face and had to suppress a snicker. "No. He's been great with Scorpius. He's helped him in a way... I don't think I can. Probably the only thing keeping him from loosing his mind." Both were quiet again. Before speaking at the same time. They laughed and Harry asked Draco to continue. "That's actually why I'm here. I need to take Scorpius away from that house, at least for a little while. But I want Albus to come with him." Harry looked thoughtfully. "What'd you have in mind?"

That evening Draco, Scorpius and their guest had a quiet dinner. Scorpius was still trying not to look miserable for his friend and father's sake, and Al kept glancing over at him. Draco hoped Potter's response came soon. When Draco told him his idea, he seemed to agree, saying it would be good for both boys. But of course he would have to ask his wife before letting Al go. "Don't worry, I'm sure once I play the 'new experiences, chance to learn new things' card she won't mind." Harry had assured him. Just as Draco was beginning to wonder, the butler (he was still getting used to that) came in with a letter. "Evening owl, sir" He said handing the letter to Draco, and turned back out. Draco tore it open like an excited child on Christmas, earning him a puzzled look from his son. He read the first line of the letter and smiled. _Ginny says okay. _It read. "Boys, pack your things." Draco said, getting up from the table. "Where are we going, father?" "Greece."

In an hour's time they had packed everything they thought they'd need and Draco had confirmed his reservations. It took almost that long to convince Al that he was in fact invited and that his parents gave their consent. "Just be sure to owl them once we get there." Draco told him. They met in the entrance hall with their luggage. "Ready?" a moment later they had port keyed their way to the Greek islands. The resort was beautiful. Draco couldn't help but smile at Scorpius and Albus' mutual amazement. The wizard hotel looked reminiscent of an ancient temple and over looked the beach, where Scorpius and Albus would spend most of their days during their stay. The trip actually turned out better than Draco could have expected. He and Scorpius were more comfortable around each other than they had been in a long time. They even came to a compromise about Scorp's hair. He'd cut it but refused to go any shorter than shoulder length. They both had transfigured their hair a sandy blonde, as the sun had not only darkened their skin, but bleached their hair blinding white. Al became like a surrogate son, and Draco was glad he'd brought him. Together the three had visited the sites of Herakles' twelve labors, went to a zoo where they saw one of the last remaining hydras, precured some gillyweed and went swimming with the merfolk. The list of activities went on.

The three returned to the hotel one night, with the boys talking animatedly about what they'd done and seen that day. "Dad, can we go swimming before we leave?" Draco could not recall when Scorpius had stopped calling him 'Father' and started referring to him as 'Dad', but he liked it. "Yes, but be quick. We only have an hour, and you need to get ready." Scorpius and Al Raced off to the pool. Hoping to repeat his luck with New York, Draco decided to take the boys out to a muggle Colosseum where ancient wrestling bouts were reenacted. Since the boys were going swimming. Draco decided to go up to his him room and relax a while. His room had it's own jacuzzi, and Draco wanted nothing more at that moment than to soak in it. After making it up to his room Draco stripped away his clothes, filled the tubs, and eased himself into the hot water. A sigh of relief escaped him immediately. He stretched his arms out along the edge of the tub, laid back, allowing his head to drop and his eyes to close, and drifted off to his own personal paradise. Draco lost all track of time when he suddenly heard a knock at the door. He looked up and saw Al, with a rather odd expression on his face. "S-Scorp wanted me to tell you that we're ready. He's still looking for his shoes." Al seemed a bit nervous. Draco looked over at the clock and saw that he had stayed in the tub longer than he'd meant to. "All right, give me a minute. Could you hand me that towel?" Draco pointed at a towel that was hanging on the wall behind Al. Al held it out the him, was his hand shaking? Draco stood, unfolding the towel to wrap around himself. "Are you all right, Al?" "Yeah. I'm fine, sir. I'm gonna go find Scorp." With that he turned and quickly left.

Draco dressed in some muggle clothes he had bought for such occasions. They were casual, or as casual as Draco would ever allow himself to dress. He met Scorpius and Al out in the hall and they were off. Since this was a reenactment of what the ancients did, Draco expected there to be some... skin. What he did not expect was that the wrestlers would in fact be completely nude. Scorpius snickered and made some comment to Al, Al seem lost for words, Draco was momentarily surprised but soon put in from his mind. The evening was actually quite exciting and again all three returned happy.

The next morning it was time to go. Al's time with the Malfoys was almost over and his parents wanted him home in time to get ready for school. Just as they were about to leave Scorpius asked "Dad, can we go back to New York for dinner tonight?" "Sure, why?" "Well it's Al's last night, and I told him we could see it once more time before he left." Draco smile and patted his son on the head. They went back to Malfoy Manor first the drop off their things, then headed back out to the Big Apple. Draco took them to a restaurant called the Olive Garden. Scorpius and Al were enjoying the food, while Draco looked pensively out the window. "What's wrong, dad?" Draco turned to his son and forced a smile on his face. "Oh nothing, Scorpius. Just day dreaming." He had been thinking about how much he enjoyed his time in Greece and had not wanted it to end. Truth be told he'd not been happy in England for a long time. There was nothing there for him except a job that demanded almost all of his time, a marriage which was barely ever existent and now officially over, true he had Scorpius but he would soon be back at school and Draco would be alone again. The idea unsettled him, to say the least.

When they returned home, they were all tired, Draco most of all. Scorpius had surprised him with a spontaneous hug before saying "Good night, Dad." Draco put his arms around the boy and almost did not want to let him go. He placed a small kiss on Scorpius' head. "Good night, son." He looked up at Al and bid him the same, before turning to him own room. The very sight of it almost made him want to cry.


	4. lonely

Last Name / Title / Page 1 Okay this might be the last chapter I put up for a while. I'm moving soon and won't have internet access until who knows when. I 'might' be able to put up one more chapter before then. We'll see. This time around the story is told from Scorpius' point of view. It becomes apparent that Al may want more than simple friendship from him, Draco is not as invincible as he'd like to be, and Scorpius has a question he needs answered.. Usual disclaimers, JK owns everything.

Scorpius and Al laid down, but could not sleep. Despite having had a rather full holiday, it seemed to have come to an end all to quickly. Scorpius partially blamed his mother and her abrupt departure. He figured it had to be hard to really enjoy your summer when the people you were staying with were having family troubles. Scorp had apologized to Al for this numerous times, but Al refused to hear it. "It's okay, don't even worry about that now." He would say. Scorp was sure his father would send Al home, maybe promising to try again next year, but much to his surprise he took all three of them on a trip to Greece.

Scorp was delighted, of course. He and Al had a blast, and even his father aloud himself to have fun for once, but Scorp couldn't help feel his dad was just trying to hide his pain. He was certain of this once they got home. The change in his father was almost immediate. He had taken them out to New York again for Al's last dinner with them, but seemed as though he were miles away. Scorp asked what was wrong and got the typical answer "Oh nothing, just day dreaming." Draco Malfoy, was probably one of the most intelligent people Scorpius knew, and that wasn't just a son's pride talking, but sometimes he could be so stupid. Why did he always have to hide things that were apparent to Scorp anyway? Why did he put everything he had into taking care of his son, but refused to let anyone take care of him. It was something that infuriated Scorp at times, though to hear Al tell it Scorpius could be the same way.

Everyone went straight to bed after returning home. Scorp and Al must have been in bed 20 minutes and still neither one of them was asleep. Scorp had been lying on his side, curled in a ball as he often was when he slept. Al was spooned up behind him with his arm around Scorp's mid-section. He was lightly stroking Scorp's belly. Al always had been rather affectionate and Scorp, having long become accustomed to it, found comfort in his touches now. "I had fun this summer." Al finally said quietly. "Next time you should come to my house." Scorp laughed "Why, have your siblings and cousins been banned?" Al smacked Scorp's belly, before resuming his strokes. "Come on, they're not that bad." "The girls aren't. I like Lily and Rose just fine. But I think you're the only boy in you family who's not a complete ars." They were silent again. Al moved his arm and was now alternating between stroking Scorp's arm and shoulder, and caressing a circular pattern in his pack. Scorp shivered a bit. "Cold?" Al asked. It was cool that night, but that wasn't the problem. "No, just tickles, that's all." Al snickered to himself. "You're so ticklish, you know that?" Scorp changed his position so he could face Al. Al's hand now rested on his waist. "I'm really glad you came." "Me too." Indeed Scorpius did not know how he'd survived all these summers without Al. As amazing as the manor may have been to outsiders, the boredom of the place could be maddening, and at time it felt more like a prison than a palace.

Scorp did not know how long he laid there contemplating all this, but a sudden movement from Al brought him back to the present. Through the shadows he could see Al moving closer. Before Scorp could make any inquiry, Al had placed a soft, tender kiss on his lips. Scorp immediately froze; unable to do, say, or think anything. Al must have taken this as permission to continue, because he kissed Scorp again. This time staying there longer. Scorp could feel heat rising in his cheeks. He had kissed and been kissed before. Hell he'd even gotten his first blow job at school several months prior, something he couldn't wait to tell Al about. But he'd never been kissed by another guy before, least of all his best friend. When Scorp still didn't move or say anything Al must've thought he'd over stepped his bounds. He backed away quickly as if burned by Scorp's lips. "I... oh God! I'm so sorry Scorp, I... shouldn't have... Oh God!" Al frantically kicked the covers aside and paced the room a bit. Scorp sat up, still a bit stunned. "Al..." Al backed away. "I'm sorry! I'll... I'll sleep in the other room!" He backed up to the door and was startled when the knob jabbed him in the back. "I, um... sorry." And with that he was gone. Scorp wanted to go after his friend, but got the feeling Al would not want to talk to him. He laid down again, missing Al's touch already. He'd never though of Al as being anything more than a friend and had always accepted his hugs, and pats and massages as part of that friendship. Obsiously they meant something more to the other boy. The bed felt oddly empty, and Scorp wasn't sure whether it was because Al wasn't there anymore, or because he felt Al should be there and wasn't.

The next morning was awkward. Scorpius, his father, and Al all ate in silence. Afterwards Scorp helped Al pack his things, including the crystal ball he'd given him and some souvenirs Al had picked up for his family in Greece. When they'd finished, the butler (what the hell was his name, again?) knocked informing them that Al's parents were downstairs waiting. Once he was gone both Scorp and Al were silent. Scorp shifted around nervously, Al just looked down at his feet. "Well, I guess I'll see ya." Scorp said quietly. Al nodded. "Same spot on the train, yeah?" Scorp asked. Al nodded again. "Okay then." Al bent down to pick up what bags he could, and without even thinking, Scorp had crossed the space between them and locked Al in a tight embrace. He was quiet for a moment before whispering in Al's ear "I don't know what to think about last night. I'm... not sure what it is you expect from me. But you're still my best friend Al, and I love you no matter what." He heard Al's bags drop, and felt his arms slowly creep around him, returning the hug. They the interrupted by Scorp's father knocking on the door, his voice calling from the other side. "You almost ready, Albus?" Scorp answered for him. "Yeah dad. We're coming." He held Al a moment more before placing a light kiss on his cheek. He backed away, laying his palms on Al's cheeks. "You ready?" He asked with a smile. Al's eyes were wet, but sparkled a beautiful green. He smile back "Yeah." Scorp helped him carry his things downstairs and bid him farewell.

Over the next few days Scorp had really felt Al's absence. His days were spent wandering the house aimlessly, writing Al and waiting for replies. In the evening his father came home, they ate together quietly, and the elder Malfoy went straight to bed when they were done. The next morning Scorp's dad would wake him to say that he was leaving, and the whole cycle would continue. To put it plainly, Scorp hated. He wanted Al back. He was fairly certain he didn't like Al quite the way Al probably liked him, but he'd have let Al snog him all he wanted at that point just for the company. He also wanted his father back. Not just physically, but back to being the way he was in Greece. Not the empty shell that he was now. Scorp came to truly loath his large, spacious house. It's size seemed to mock him, emphasizing his loneliness, exaggerating the distance between him and the people he loved most.

Scorp wanted to get out. Just him and his dad. He thought about what he'd once said to Al. 'He doesn't like me to bother him when he's had a long day.' He knew his father had only taken them out to entertain Al. He knew he had no chance of this with the boy gone. But he would try anyhow. So when his father got home and dropped into his favorite chair. Scorpius plucked up his courage and asked. "Dad, can we go out tonight." The older man removed his robes, looking as though he could barely manage it. After removing his tie and undoing the first three buttons on his shirt he answered "Not tonight." Scorp debated, for a moment, between pressing the matter or leaving it alone. "It doesn't have to be anywhere special. We can just go to town." He saw how tired his father looked, the regret of the answer he was about to give, and felt bad for even bringing it up. "I can't tonight, Scorpius. Another time, I promise." It was an empty promise, and they both knew it. But Scorpius didn't have the heart to persist. "All right." He said, before leaving the room. When his father did not show up for dinner, Scorpius went in search of him. He returned to the den, where he'd last seen him, and found the man still in his chair, fast asleep. Scorp crept over to him quietly. "Father?" he asked with a nudge. Nothing. "Dad?" he tried again. The man opened his eyes slowly, Scorpius had just noticed the lines underneath them. Draco looked half dazed still, and didn't seem to be able to move on his own accord. "Come on, let's get you to bed." Scorpius helped his father upstairs to his room and sat him on the edge on the bed. Draco seemed ready to pass out, as he was. Scorp undid the remaining buttons of his shirt and slid it off. He removed his shoes and socks and managed to help him out of his pants. When Draco sat in his black silk boxers, Scorpius laid him down and brought the covers up over him. "Such a good boy." He heard his father mutter, before turning over in his sleep. Scorpius pulled a blonde strand back from his father's face, before kissing his temple. "Good night dad."

Scorpius could not remember when he'd climbed in bed beside his father, but that was where he woke up the next morning. His father was still asleep. Scorp looked up at the clock. It was 9:30, his father was late. "Dad! Dad!" He said trying to shake him awake. It was then that Scorp noticed his father was covered in sweat and his breathing was strained. "Dad?" He nudged him again. "DAD!" The healed he'd flooed said that his dad had come down with some kind of bug, most likely due to his long hours at work and lack of sleep. He'd recommended Draco stay in bed for the next few days, something he would have refused had Scorpius not looked so concerned. After leaving some potions and giving Scorpius instructions on when and how to administer them, the healer was gone. Once alone, Draco held an arm out to his son. Scorpius leaned into his embrace. "I'm sorry." The boy pulled back giving his father a questioning look. "I didn't mean to make you worry." Draco explained. Scorpius smiled, smoothing out his dad's hair. "I wish you'd let me worry about you more often. Then things like this wouldn't happen." Draco smiled. "What would I do without you?" He ran his fingers though the boy's silver locks. "I'm gonna get you something to eat." With that Scorpius sat up and left.

That night, after clearing away his dad's food trays, Scorp came in waving a bottle of thick purple liquid. "Potion time." Draco groaned. "I don't want it. It tastes like bile." Scorp laughed. "Well you're in luck, because this one goes on your skin. Lie down, I rub some one your back." Draco did as he was told. Scorp heard a sharp intake of breath when his hands touched his father's skin. "Cold?" He asked, rubbing the potion into the man's muscles. "Yes. What's this for again?" "To help you relax. The healer says you're too tense." After a moment he added "You feel like it." Draco grunted. Scorpius' soft hands did feel relaxing and the potion began to turn warm after a moment. "It's warmer now." He commented. "That means it's working." Scorp answered. He continued rubbing, moving his hand further down, making sure not to miss a spot. The purple streaks slowly dissolved into Draco's complexion. "Dad, can I ask you something?" "Hmm?" "Why do you do it? I mean why do you push your self so hard like this?" Draco was silent for a moment. "At first I did it for you, and your mother. After the fall of the Dark Lord a lot of families that were loyal to him became pariahs in the wizarding world. The Malfoy s especially." "Why?" Scorpius asked in confusion. "I thought Grandmother helped protect Potter. That's why they let her and Grandfather go." "Yes." Draco answered. "But that didn't mean people trusted us. Besides that we were now cut off from the other former Death Eaters, WE were the 'blood traitors'." Scorp asked his father to turn over so he could do his front. Draco settled on his back and continued. "We were in bad shape. Yes we had our fortune, but with no one willing to do business with us, money became less than worthless. "I had to rebuild everything from the ground up. Because of my age, I could still claim some measure of innocence. People still distrusted me, mind you, but at least they gave me a chance." Draco snorted. "I think some just pitied me." Scorpius massaged the potion into his fathers firm chest and then his abs. He'd started on his arms when he asked "But why continue? People trust you now. No one even blames _you _for what Grandfather did. So why keep working so hard?" Scorpius rubbed Draco's left shoulder, then his solid biceps, working all the way down to his hand an fingers. "I guess," Draco started. "Part of it might have been fear. You have know idea until you have one, how terrifying the responsibility of having a child can be. But too be honest, a bigger part was me just wanting to get away." Draco cut himself off. Scorpius climbed over him and started on the next arm "From Mother?" He could call his father Dad, he would not call her Mom. Draco shrugged. "I wish I could say we both tried , that it wasn't all her fault. I guess in a way it wasn't. We married for convenience, not love. She wanted to get in with a family that had escaped the Ministries wrath, I wanted to continue the bloodline. Simple as that." Scorpius laid his father's arm down and looked down at him. "But why now. You have everything you wanted. Your honor, an heir, Mother's gone. Why do this to yourself now." Draco was quiet. He shook his head and seemed to be fighting for words. "I guess..." He said so quietly Scorpius almost missed it. "Because it's the only thing I know how to do... anymore."

Scorpius looked down at his father as if really seeing him for the first time. His eyes drifted across Draco's body, stopping to watch his chest rise and fall in slow steady breaths. Scorpius placed his hand on his father's chest feeling his heart beat. Somehow the feel of it made Draco more _human_ to Scorpius. He wasn't this impervious machine that could go on indefinitely. He got tired, he got sick, he had a heart beat, and he had limits, just like everyone else. Draco placed his hand on top of Scorpius'. He held it up and kissed it, smiling at his son. "I love you." He said simply. Scorp smiled back. "I love you too." He placed a soft kiss on his father's forehead. "Get some sleep." He pulled the covers over Draco and left the room.


	5. the big mistake

Scorpius does something he probably shouldn't. Don't own nothin.

Scorpius spent much of the next three days looking after his father, and wondered if the man would be all right on his own once he'd left for school. It would be at least another week before Draco was well enough to go back to work, but he'd insisted on accompanying Scorpius to King's Cross. Scorpius agreed only after making his father promise that he would return home and go straight to bed right after. It was the last night before Scorpius' return to Hogwarts and he'd sincerely wished he could do something more meaningful with his father than giving him his nightly potion. Still he'd learned early in life to make due with whatever time with his father he had. He came into his father's room, same time as always, and proceeded straight to the bed. Draco was laying in bed completely still. The covers at his waist, his torso completely bare. Scorpius noticed a fine sheen of sweat on his father's skin and hoped that his fever wasn't returning. He felt Draco's forehead, and decided it was probably just warm in the room.

Scorpius walked over to the window and cracked it just enough to allow a cool breeze in. He walked silently back to his father's bed and shook the man's shoulder. "Dad. Dad?" Draco stirred a bit before finally opening his eyes. He scanned the room lazily before finding Scorpius. The boy simply held up the potion bottle. "That time already?" He asked. Scorpius smiled. "I wasn't expecting you to be asleep so early." He said, pulling Draco's covers away more, while the man himself turned onto his stomach. "What the hell else is there for me to do?" Draco answered dryly. Scorpius poured some potion into his hand and began to rub it into his father's skin. "Wait." His father stopped him. "We're forgetting something." "Oh..." Scorpius responded nervously. "Right." Draco had decided after the first night that the potion would work more effectively if it were rubbed into his entire body. His entire NAKED body, Scorpius kept reminding himself. It's not that he hadn't seen his father naked before, and he certainly didn't have a problem with the man's physique (he'd admired it since he was a child). But touching his father, **everywhere**, was an entirely different matter. Draco had reminded his son that he himself use to bath the boy all the time when he was younger, and that this in turn would be no different. But in Scorpius' mind bathing a little boy, and massaging a very gorgeous and very naked man (who just happened to be your own dad) were in fact to very different things. The first time had been awkward, but they'd both suffered through it. It no longer seemed to bother Draco at all, who would not admit out loud he himself was nervous at first, but Scorpius now found he had another problem with it. Draco worked him self out of his pants and tossed them aside. He now laid before his son fully exposed. "Ready?" Scorpius swallowed a lump in his throat. He started rubbing his father's back again.

He desperately need a distraction. "Al wrote today." He said, thankful for any excuse for conversation. "Oh. What'd he have to say?" Draco asked sleepily. Scorpius shook his head. "Just normal stuff. His mother fussing over him with the shopping, waiting for school to start, that kind of thing." That really had been the gist of Al's letter, but Scorpius wanted more to say. He did not think he could handle being silent in a room with his father right now, talking made things more... casual. "He kissed me you know." Scorpius could have kicked himself. He hadn't intended on telling his father that, at least now yet, at least not in person. But in his desperation it had slipped. "Oh?" His father responded, sounding more sleepy and amused than concerned or angry. "You kiss him back?" "No!" Scorpius said perhaps a little too harshly. Truth be told he enjoyed the kiss itself , though he still wasn't sure what to make of his feeling toward Al. He was seriously regretting having brought any of this up. "It's just... well, he fancies me... I think. I'm just not sure how to handle it." Draco said nothing for a while. Scorpius looked at him and thought for a moment that he'd fallen back asleep. No such luck. "He's a good boy. He's your friend. You'll work it out." Scorpius wasn't entirely sure whether that made him feel better or worse. His hands began to massage Draco's buttocks and he could not bring himself to speak at the moment. Part of him wanted to be done with that part of his father's body quickly another part of him want to savor every moment. He moved on to Draco's legs. Now finding his voice Scorpius said. "I don't wanna hurt his feelings. But I don't wanna lead him on, you know?" Again it took Draco a moment to respond. "Well, you just have to do what's fair. Something that won't make things any more difficult that it has to be for either one of you." Scorpius took the words in as he massaged Draco's foot.

Draco turned over slowly. Scorpius poured more potion. "You don't seem too upset by it." Draco shook his head slowly. "He's at that age. And the way he adores you, it's not all that surprising." Scorpius rubbed his father's firm chest. He loved touching it. He rubbed his hands along Draco's neck, and down across his shoulders. Rubbing more of his father's body Scorpius noted that the man's breathing had changed. He was almost certainly asleep now. "Dad?" He called. "Dad?" Nothing. Scorpius moved his hands further along his father's muscular body, admiring everything he touched. His father had told him once about how small he was as a teenager, and how he'd decided to bulk up after the war. Scorpius still believed all his dad's exercises were part of a routine he'd created to avoid Scorpius' mother, but he was glad his father had continued once she was gone. Scorpius slid his hands further down his father's slick muscles. Finally reaching his waist. He looked up at his father again. The man was out cold. Dead to the world.

Scorpius tenderly rubbed the space above his dad's groin, silently trying to convince himself his was only following the healer's orders, and what his dad himself had told him. He rubbed Draco's inner thigh with one hand, the other lightly caressing his abdomen. With his finger tips he gently tickled Draco's scrotum. He froze for a moment, but Draco continued sleeping peacefully. After a tense moment, Scorpius dared another touch of his father's hairless flesh. More bold now, Scorpius seized his father's genitals in his hand, his other still on the man's belly. He shifted his palm, grasping the older Malfoy's limp member. He held it in his hand, stroking the tip with his thumb. For a long while he did nothing more, but watch has the organ slowly began to swell. It jerked and bobbed, pointing more and more toward the sleeping Draco's chin each time. When almost fully erect, Scorpius trailed his fingers gently across it from base to tip. Scorpius' index finger teased Draco's urethra and glands. Draco's entire body stiffened for a moment and Scorpius froze again. But the elder Malfoy soon relaxed again showing no sign of waking. Scorpius dared to wrap his fist around the throbbing organ that helped create him. Hard flesh and soft skin. It's warmth felt oddly comforting, and strangely Scorpius felt as though somehow the member he held belonged to him.

He did what came natural, what he'd done so many times in the comfort of his own bed. His hand moved almost on it's own accord, up and down. Slowly. His grip tightened somewhat and all thoughts of caution left his mind. His pumping motion was firm, but not rough. The potion residue on his palm made the perfect lubricant. The head of his father's penis swelled and even in the dim moonlight, Scorpius could see it tint the faintest pink. Scorpius was transfixed, and some part of him wanted nothing more than to take the beautiful manhood in his mouth. The per-ejaculate oozing from the tip looked so tempting. Scorpius' hand moved faster. So fixated was he that he didn't notice his father tense up again, his testicles drawing up to his body. The blasts of hot semen came wave after wave, and seemed enough to cover Draco Malfoy's entire body. As Scorpius watched in amazement he was convinced he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. A grunt from his father broke him from his trance. The man turned in his sleep, thankfully having never fully awakened. Scorpius looked at his coated hand and was filled with instant shame. He fled from the room, tears in his eyes and a sick feeling in his stomach.


End file.
